Allergic reactions and inflammation caused by infectious diseases are examples of vital-function disorders caused by foreign disease-state inducing substances. Although these allergic reactions and inflammation are short-term symptoms in some cases, they may give rise to mid- and long-term unwelcome vital reactions. Especially, if such a symptom unfortunately continues over a long period of time, the inflammatory reaction will not come to an end but become prolonged, even after the disappearance of a disease-state inducing substance itself. This often produces troubles in the sufferer's daily life.
Especially, for the case of epidemic disease-states occurring seasonally explosively such as cedar pollen allergy and influenza, in order to avoid affection and sideration it is required not to be outdoors as far as possible. In addition, it is required to reduce the chance of being contact with disease-state inducing substances or with pathogens by providing a covering over part of the living body. However, it is inevitable that disease-state inducing substances which are invisible to the naked eye accidentally contact with a body surface or enter the living body. Therefore, the life of a person compromised to infection or vulnerable to allergens is seriously constrained.
In the past, such disease-state inducing substances have been dealt with by precautions (mask, gargling et cetera), by various symptomatic therapies, and by anti-inflammatory treatments, including various antibiotic substances, antiviral drugs, vaccines et cetera.
For example, as a way of coping with the cedar pollen allergy, medical treatments by desensitization using an antihistamic agent, steroid, or vaccine have been carried out commonly. However, it is difficult for these treatments to work wonders. Besides, this kind of treatment may involve unignorable serious side effects in some cases. Consequently, in recent years natural substances have drawn attention as substances having few side effects and providing advantageous effects of suppressing allergic reactions.
More specifically, with respect to allergic reactions, human intervention research work on the allergy prevention effects by making use of apple pectin has been carried out by National Institute of Fruit Tree Science. The results have been reported, which show that the concentration of histamine in the blood after the ingestion of apple pectin drops by 24% in comparison with the concentration of histamine in the blood before ingestion.
Likewise, as a measure to deal with allergic diseases, there have been disclosed inhibition effects for the emission of cytokines by administration of pectin (see for example Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2001-233777 which is hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document I”). With respect to the allergic reaction inhibition effect as set forth in the Patent Document I, the point of effect is a drop in the monocyto/macrophage reactivity owing to the administration of pectin. Stated another way, the pectin administration of the Patent Document I has a certain effect on the production inhibition of IL-5 (interleukin-5), on the production inhibition of IL-4 (interleukin-4), and on the production enhancement of IFN-gamma by altering cellular reactivity.
In addition, pectins have been used for the purpose of achieving stable dispersion/distribution and of the wetting of substances present in a solution. More specifically, pectins are added to various types of beverages and biological preparations as a stabilization agent (see for example Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2001-64895 which is hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document II”). In the Patent Document II, a pectin is added to an eyedrop biological preparation and actions on the durability of beneficial effects of the eyedrop biological preparation are discussed. This method is one that also extends the residence time of a biological preparation in a local part through wetting distribution.
In addition, with respect to infectious diseases such as influenza, precautions by vaccines and the like, drug treatments as typified by amantadine, gargling, and avoidance of contact with viruses by wearing a mask are coping ways. As a curative medicine for influenza, a neuraminidase inhibitor has been disclosed (see for example JP 2000-505088 A (Japanese Translation of PCT International Application) which is hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document III). A biological preparation disclosed in the Patent Document III blocks an enzyme which takes partial charge of the function of cleaving a sialic acid present on the surface of a virus, thereby preventing the emitting of virus particles from a living cell surface.
Finally, it is reported that a sialyllactose-containing macromolecule exhibits a strong inhibition activity against type H1 influenza virus HA. Furthermore, it is reported that a macromolecule, combined with sialic acid monosaccharide as C- or S-glycoside, exhibits a strong inhibition activity against type H3 influenza virus HA. In addition, a medicine has been disclosed which contains as an active ingredient a chemical compound which is a low molecular weight sialic acid derivative and which exhibits an inhibition effect on two kinds of membrane proteins, i.e., sialidase and hemagglutinin (see for example Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2001-131074 which is hereinafter referred to as “Patent Document IV).